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What, So What, Now What?

Reflect together and turn shared observations into action, moving from facts, to meaning, to next steps. Adapted from Liberating Structures (https://www.liberatingstructures.com/what-so-what-now-what), licensed CC BY-NC 3.0.

by Andrew Davis · Version 1 · Download .md

6 parts · 9 phases

Part 1 What? — the facts Rooms of 6
Intro Host-paced

First, reflect on your own, then share the facts in your group. Stick to what happened — observations, not interpretations.

  1. What happened? What did you notice? 6 min

    What facts or observations stood out? Include what you noticed about the space, the process, and the emotions in the room.

Part 2 What? — capture
  1. Share the key facts 3 min

    A few people share the most important facts. Capture them where everyone can see.

Part 3 So What? — meaning Rooms of 6
Intro Host-paced

Back to your same group.

  1. What does it mean? Why does it matter? 6 min

    What do the facts mean? What patterns or conclusions are emerging? What hunches or hypotheses can you make?

Part 4 So What? — capture
  1. Share your conclusions 3 min

    A few people share the conclusions and patterns their group found.

Part 5 Now What? — action Rooms of 6
Intro Host-paced

Same group once more.

  1. What actions or first steps make sense? 6 min

    Given all of that, what actions or first steps make sense now?

Part 6 Now What? — capture
  1. Share first steps 3 min

    Each group shares the first steps they're committing to.